On October 29th, on the eve of the Chongyang Festival and Geriatrics Day, the Peripheral Vascular Disease Management Branch of the Chinese Geriatrics Society organized a series of large-scale free medical consultations, screenings and educational activities for experts across the country under the theme of "Welcoming Chongyang Festival and Geriatrics Day, Paying Attention to the Vascular Health of the Elderly". The expert team delves into communities, nursing homes and hospital outpatient departments, bringing high-quality vascular specialty medical services to the elderly. This event takes Chengdu as its main venue and is simultaneously launched in multiple cities including Beijing, Shanghai, Changsha, Chongqing, Hengyang and Deyang. More than 100 medical and nursing volunteers participated in it, providing services to over 600 people in total. They completed ultrasound screenings for more than 300 people, conducted ward inspections for nearly 100 people, and distributed over 500 health education brochures. In response to the high risk of abdominal aortic aneurysm rupture in winter, the activity focused on screening the elderly over 65 years old, especially those with a long-term history of smoking, heart disease, hypertension or other cardiovascular diseases. This effectively enhanced public awareness of the vascular health of the elderly and received wide acclaim from society.

A group photo of Professor Zhao Jichun, the president of the branch, and his team at the free medical consultation event

This event is a concrete measure to actively implement the "National Large-scale Free Medical Consultation Week Implementation Plan for the 'Serving People's Health Action'" issued by the National Health Commission and respond to the call of the Chinese Society of Geriatrics to "develop geriatric medicine and serve the health of the elderly". At the initiative of Professor Zhao Jichun, the president of the branch, eight co-initiators including Professor Wang Tao, Professor Zhao Yu, Professor Zhang LAN, Professor Li Yongjun, Professor Wang Haiyang, Professor Guo Pingfan, Professor Huang Jianhua and Professor Chen Quan, the vice presidents of the branch, jointly organized the event with the member units of the branch.

President Zhao Jichun stated that the aging of the population in our country is continuously deepening, and the incidence of peripheral vascular diseases is increasing year by year. Due to the complex complications, the diagnosis and treatment of these diseases are very difficult. The high mortality and disability rates seriously affect the quality of life of the elderly. It is imperative to strengthen diagnosis, treatment and management. The branch will continue to promote the downward flow of high-quality medical resources and contribute to the construction of a Healthy China and healthy aging.

Highlights of the event

Main venue event: Chengdu Station

West China Hospital, in collaboration with Chengdu Daily Jinguang News, held a free medical consultation event

On the morning of October 26th, the Department of Vascular Surgery, the Department of Ultrasound Imaging and the Outpatient Department of West China Hospital of Sichuan University, in collaboration with Chengdu Daily Jinguang News, held a large-scale free medical consultation, screening and health education event titled "Welcoming Chongyang Festival and Geriatric Medicine Day - Focusing on the Vascular Health of the Elderly" at Chengdu Jinxin Huaxiang Elderly Apartment.

At the event site, six experts from West China Hospital, including Director Huang Bin, Professor Zeng Guojun, Professor Yang Yi, Professor Zhao Shuzhen, Head Nurse Ren Li and Professor Hu Hankui, delivered popular science lectures on core topics of elderly vascular health such as abdominal aortic aneurysm screening, prevention and treatment of venous thrombosis and stroke, and management of lower extremity arterial ischemia and blood pressure. The event was presided over by President Cao Qixian of Chengdu Jinxin Huaxiang Elderly Apartment, and Professor Zhao Jichun, the president of the branch, delivered a speech. Nearly 30 experts and medical staff, including Professor Zhao Jichun from the Vascular Surgery Department, Secretary Ma Yukui, Director Huang Bin, Chief Physician Wen Xiaorong from the Ultrasound Imaging Department, and Professor Zhao Shuzhen from the Outpatient Department, provided free medical consultation and ultrasound examination services for the elderly present. Among them were many elderly people aged 102. The experts patiently inquired about the physical conditions of the elderly, explained health knowledge in plain language, and truly brought the high-quality medical resources of West China Hospital to the elderly, promoting a good social atmosphere of respecting and caring for the elderly.

After the free medical consultation, the Party branch and the Youth League Branch of the Vascular Surgery Department of West China Hospital simultaneously carried out Party (Youth League) building activities. Since 2013, this department has been providing free medical services to the elderly during holidays for over a decade. It has been practicing the trend of respecting and caring for the elderly with concrete actions and has become one of the distinctive branch activities of the Vascular Surgery Department of West China Hospital.

Nationwide Linkage: Selected events from multiple sub-venues

Xiangya Hospital of Central South University

On October 29th, the Vascular Surgery Department of Xiangya Hospital of Central South University held a large-scale free medical consultation, screening and health education event titled "Welcoming Chongyang Festival and Geriatric Medicine Day - Focusing on the Vascular Health of the Elderly", taking practical actions to safeguard the vascular health of the elderly.

The free medical consultation team was led by Professor Huang Jianhua, vice president of the Peripheral Vascular Disease Management Branch of the Chinese Geriatrics Society. The team members included Professor Wang Wei, Associate Professor Wang Xianwei, Associate Professor Wu Kemin, Attending Physician CAI Zhou, Attending Physician Peng Chen, and many nursing experts led by Head Nurse Huang Jie from the Department of Vascular Surgery of Xiangya Hospital, Central South University. The team was highly professional and powerful.

During the event, the expert team provided medical services to elderly patients in various forms. They received nearly 100 consultations, measured blood pressure for over 40 people, distributed more than 30 promotional materials, and offered free abdominal aortic color Doppler ultrasound examinations to over 10 elderly patients.

Beijing Hospital

On October 29th, the 20th World Stroke Day, the Vascular Surgery Department of Beijing Hospital successfully held a large-scale public welfare free clinic event titled "Respect for the Elderly on the Ninth Double Ninth Festival, Vascular Free Clinic for Health" in the hospital's outpatient hall. The event attracted many middle-aged and elderly citizens to come for consultation. The scene was orderly and the atmosphere was warm.

The medical team led by Professor Li Yongjun, Vice President of the Peripheral Vascular Disease Management Branch of the Chinese Geriatrics Society and Director of the Vascular Surgery Department of Beijing Hospital, We provide professional medical services and personalized health guidance for citizens who come for consultation on the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of common vascular diseases among the elderly, such as carotid artery stenosis, lower extremity arteriosclerosis obliterans, varicose veins of the lower extremities, hypertension, diabetic foot and chronic wounds. Meanwhile, medical staff also offer free services such as blood pressure measurement and distribution of health knowledge handbooks to citizens.

Renji Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine

On the morning of October 15th, the outpatient hall of the East Campus of Renji Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine successfully held a large-scale free medical consultation, screening and educational event with the theme of "From Head to Toe, Guarding Health", focusing on the key health issue of thrombosis prevention and treatment among the elderly.

Professor Zhang LAN, vice president of the Peripheral Vascular Disease Management Branch of the Chinese Geriatrics Society, and her team, in collaboration with vascular surgery attending physician Ni Qihong, delivered a popular science lecture on the causes, high-risk factors, hazards, and prevention and treatment of thrombosis in the elderly population. The event was organized and coordinated by Zhang LAN, the director of the Vascular Surgery Department, Professor Xue Guanhua, the Party branch secretary, and Zhang Ting, the head nurse. Gong Xingrong, the director of the First Medical Department, delivered a speech for this event.

Chongqing Medical University First Affiliated Hospital

On October 29th, the Vascular Surgery Department of the First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, the Day Service Center of Jingwei Campus, and the Department of Stomatology jointly organized a large-scale free medical consultation, screening, and educational event titled "Welcoming Chongyang Festival and Geriatric Medicine Day, Focusing on the Health of the Elderly" at Chongqing Hongye Elderly Care Home.

Professor Zhao Yu, Vice President of the Peripheral Vascular Disease Management Branch of the Chinese Geriatrics Society and chief physician of the Vascular Surgery Department of the First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, led a team consisting of attending physician He Linxiang, resident physician Li Xin, and head nurse He Fang, as well as attending physicians Guo Xiaowei and Xiao Li from the Department of Stomatology, head nurse He Ying, and nurse Zhou Ping, among other multi-disciplinary medical personnel. The Chongqing Medical University First Affiliated Hospital Branch of the China Nightingale Volunteer Nursing Service Corps participated simultaneously. Experts conducted detailed examinations for the elderly in terms of vascular health, oral health and other aspects. They also popularized knowledge on the prevention of common diseases among the elderly through easy-to-understand education, allowing the elderly to truly feel the warmth of medical care during the Chongyang Festival.

The Third Affiliated Hospital of University of South China

On October 29th, the Third Affiliated Hospital of University of South China, in collaboration with the Health and Family Planning Bureau of Nanyue District, Hengyang City, and the Shouyue Township Health Center, held a large-scale free medical consultation and screening event titled "Welcoming Chongyang Festival and Geriatric Medicine Day, Focusing on the Vascular Health of the Elderly" in Longchi Village, Shouyue Township, bringing high-quality medical resources to the front line of rural areas.

Professor Xiong Guozuo, a member of the Peripheral Vascular Disease Management Branch of the Chinese Geriatrics Society and from the Affiliated Hospital of University of South China, Wang Jianying, the director and associate chief physician of the Department of Neurology, He Zhiguo, the deputy director and associate chief physician of the Department of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, and Xiao Qiong, a senior nurse in charge of the Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, among other experts, set up a multi-disciplinary service area. Through disease screening and popular science education, Enable rural elderly people to enjoy high-quality medical services right at their doorstep.

Deyang People's Hospital

The team led by Professor Huang Guofei, a member of the Peripheral Vascular Disease Management Branch of the Chinese Geriatrics Society and a member of the Vascular Surgery Department of Deyang People's Hospital, in collaboration with multiple disciplines including Geriatrics, Cardiology, neurology, rehabilitation, nutrition, and the nursing Geriatric Group of Psychosomatic Medicine, organized a free medical consultation and screening event with the theme of "Time Does not Betray Deep Affection, Quietly Enjoying the Beauty of Chongyang".

At the event site, services such as bone density measurement and vascular disease risk assessment were provided for the elderly. The expert team popularized small knowledge about healthy living for vascular diseases through case studies and other methods, serving over 100 people and distributing more than 100 health promotion materials. At the same time, bedside thrombosis prevention education was carried out.